The use of portable electronic devices has become ubiquitous in modern society. Users have come to depend upon these devices to provide information, entertainment and to communicate with other individuals or entities. Thus, devices such as smartphones, laptop computers, tablets, watches and other devices are carried about by users as they proceed throughout their daily activities. These devices provide audio and visual sensory input for users throughout the day.
Because portable electronic devices are carried by users as they proceed throughout their daily activities, these devices may be subjected to various environments and contaminants. In particular, portable electronic devices that are closely connected to a user such as smartphones and watches may be subjected to these contaminants. For example, a watch that is affixed to the wrist of a user may be subject to substances, which, if allowed to enter the watch, could seriously affect electronic components therein and thus the timekeeping or informational performance of the watch.
A watch or other portable electronic device may also be subjected to harsh environmental conditions by the user. For example, a user may wish to wear a watch while scuba diving or snorkeling. The watch may be immersed in water and subjected to various water pressure depending upon the depth of the user's dive. While deeper dives may produce more pressure, numerous shallower dives subjecting the device to increased pressures over a longer period of time may be more deleterious to the sealing capacity of the device than less frequent deeper dives. In either event, a failure of the seal will likely result in poorer performance and even failure of the device in some cases.
Portable electronic devices may include a display that is covered by a cover glass to protect the surface of the display and the other electronic components within the device. This cover glass may be silicon glass or it may be another optically transparent material such as sapphire or a polymer material to allow the user to observe the display. The cover glass is sealed to the device housing to prevent liquids, chemicals or other contaminants from entering the housing which may deleteriously affect the electronic components of the device and thereby degrade the user's experience and appreciation of the portable electronic device.